So Happy For You by Celia Laskey Book Review

Welcome to my review of So Happy For You by Celia Laskey. I enjoyed Celia Laskey’s last book, Under The Rainbow. Though I found the writing style tricky, I wanted to give her work another shot, and I like to read LGBT books, so I thought I would give this one a try. While I enjoyed Under the Rainbow, I liked this one even more.

Click me to go to my Review

Synopsis

Robin and Ellie have been best friends since childhood. They’ve been through everything together, from Robin coming out to the death of Ellie’s dad. But when Ellie asks Robin to be her maid of honour, Robin is reluctant.

It’s not that Robin isn’t happy for Ellie, she just hates everything about weddings and marriage – plus the guy Ellie’s engaged to. There’s also the matter of the crazy (not to mention dangerous) wedding rituals that couples are resorting to in the hope of securing a lifetime of happiness.

Despite her misgivings, Robin finally says yes. But as the wedding day approaches, she gets the feeling that everyone in the bridal party is out to get her. And it seems Ellie is willing to do anything for the perfect day. After all, marriage is about sacrifice…

About The Author

Celia Laskey is the author of Under the Rainbow, a finalist for the 2020 Center for Fiction First Novel Prize. Her other work has appeared in Guernica, the Minnesota Review, Day One, and elsewhere. She has an MFA from the University of New Mexico and currently lives in Los Angeles with her wife and their dog Whiskey. Her latest novel, So Happy For You, is out in July.

My Review

Since childhood, Ellie and Robin have been best friends but have grown apart in recent years. So when Ellie asks Robin to be her maid of honour, Robin is quite unsure and emotional about her decision, both due to having grown apart and what it might entail, particularly for someone who is so against the governmental pushing of marriage. In addition, she dislikes Ellie’s fiancé and doesn’t think they are a good match, making things even more complicated.

Robin eventually agrees, and it seems primarily because it will help with her PhD thesis about the commodification of marriage.

At first, I was confused about what period this was set in. However, it’s a dystopian version of our reality which I found intriguing. Marriage is the ‘done thing’ advocated and pushed by the government. While Robin doesn’t seem so keen, despite Gay Marriage being available, she is happy with her girlfriend, Aimee. However, her best friend Ellie can’t wait and doesn’t want to be left ‘rotten’.

Everything surrounding them is wedding related. A proliferation of websites, dating apps, pressures and programmes to bring people together to encourage their union, including some very lucrative tax breaks, mean the wedding craziness reaches an all-time high. Everyone wants to get married as soon as possible. Many brides and their mothers are turning into Bridezilla, which sounds like a nightmare. Then add in some crazy rituals or superstitions the brides want to carry out to ensure a good, long and happy marriage, and you have what seems like carnage. I can see why Robin wants to stay as far away from it as possible.

I loved this concept and could picture myself being part of their world quite easily. Despite being married, I’m pretty sure I would be on robins side too! So happy for you is a lot of fun to read. The levels thought of for the bridezilla scenes were brilliant and very imaginative. The extremes she will go to are outrageous!

I enjoyed the relationship between Ellie and Robin. Exploring their friendship from its origin through evolution and dissolution was fascinating. I enjoyed the ending of this bought and the troubles in between. Both of the main characters were well developed, they weren’t people I would want to be friends with, but I did enjoy reading about their lives and experiences.

There is a bit of something for everyone here, a bit rom-com, a dark thriller, dystopian new worlds, friendships, love, and humour. It’s a little bit crazy, but I read it in one sitting, and I loved it.

My previous reviews of Celia Laskey’s work

Under the Rainbow

Rated